Pine Bush Schools Superintendent says district has no say on approving girl's school

Tuesday

Oct 8, 2013 at 10:16 PMOct 8, 2013 at 10:25 PM

STEVE ISRAEL

PINE BUSH - Pine Bush Schools Superintendent Joan Carbone wants to make one thing clear about the proposed private school for girls that would be fed by Shalom Lamm's controversial 396 home development in Bloomingburg – a school and development many believe, and fear, would be Hasidic.

While the district may be responsible for services like transportation and special education for those students, Pine Bush does not have anything to do with running or approving the school.

“The Board (of Education) lacks the jurisdiction to review, supervise or determine any part of the application to establish and construct the school,” Carbone told a crowd of more than 100 who came to a Board of Education meeting at Pine Bush High School because they are worried about the school that would serve 400 girls, about 60 of whom would need special education services, according to information given to the district by the proposed school.

That fear and frustration over something they feel they can't control was why so many in the crowd applauded when Raea Kober of Pine Bush urged the board to “pay attention” to what happened with the schools of Kiryas Joel and the surrounding Monroe area – a public district that, after many legal battles, serves the Hasidic community.

“If you want to protect what this district has, look at, learn from it, don't let that happen to our community,” she said.

The lack of information about what exactly is going on with the proposedschool and the already approved Chestnut Ridge development is why others during the calm meeting repeatedly asked the board to do the right thing.

“There's a level of distrust - a huge level of distrust (in the community),” said John Kahrs of the newly formed Concerned Citizens Group of Pine Bush. “Do not let it extend to the school board.”

But some mentioned what they perceived is a possible source of distrust – a potential conflict of interest between board member and Realtor RJ Smith, who has dealt with developer Lamm. While Smith did not want to comment, board president Lloyd Greer said Smith was acting “perfectly within our code of ethics,” according to the district's lawyer.

During the meeting that was short on new information because Carbone said it wasn't given the district, the superintendent couldn't provide the exact cost to taxpayers for those 400 girls in grades K-8 – or the 60 girls the district was told would receive special education.